The invention relates to an electric hotplate with a hotplate body and a lower cover plate, through which cover plate passes an insulating member for the passage of the electric hotplate terminal lines for powering heating elements and from which the terminal lines project in stub-like manner.
In known hotplates (cf e.g. Offenlegungscchrift No. 2,651,848), the electrical connection of the hotplate takes place by means of a ceramic connection piece. The piece is located on one end of a support plate. The piece is fixed to the lower cover plate of the hotplate. The insulating member projects through the cover plate and the support plate in the vicinity of the inner end of said support plate. Terminal lines constructed as solid bars or wires pass through the support plate and run parallel to the latter into the connecting piece. The fixed arrangement of the connecting piece has proved satisfactory, because it is located outside the hot region of the hotplate and permits the connection of electric leads. However, as the connecting piece projects laterally over the hotplate, such hotplates are not very suitable for the automatic equipping of stove units.
It has already been proposed (Offenlegungscchrift No. 2,933,349), for the purpose of improving hotplates with regards to the storage and transportation possibilities, to make the thermally stable, insulated terminal lines leading out of the hotplate flexible, and to guide them to a common, freely movable connecting piece with terminals. The terminal lines must be sufficiently long to permit the arrangement of the connecting piece outside the vicinity of the electric hotplate. This constructional embodiment has proved particularly satisfactory for storage and transportation.
A hotplate is also known (Auslegeschrift No. 1,270,201), in which the mounting bars or rails for the electric heating resistors are passed through a bushing and terminate in flat lugs. The power supply line can be connected to said lugs by means of the flat plugs provided at the end thereof. However, this constitutes a relatively costly construction, which is not very suitable for automatically equipping stove units with hotplates.
A hotplate is also known (Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,620,004), in which stubs of the terminal lines project through an insulating member, the mounting rails of a thermostat being welded to the short ends. The thermostat is part of the hotplate and is joined therewith at the time of manufacture. It projects laterally over and beyond the hotplate and is connected to the feed leads at its outside by means of electric terminals.